


GO | ZACK TAYLOR

by korolevax



Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers, Power Rangers 2017 Film
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-29
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-10-12 10:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10489161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/korolevax/pseuds/korolevax
Summary: [ ZACK TAYLOR | BLACK RANGER ][ post-2017 movie ; follow up ff ]Zack Taylor hated getting up close and personal - sometimes. Other times, he yelled in the face of aliens and threatened to beat them to death with household objects. Tomi Oliver had the pleasure of experiencing the latter option first-hand when a space lord slithered to Angel Grove after the downfall of Rita Repulsa. Just five rangers may not be enough, yet her use of the salvaged Green Crystal may bring them closer to victory - and to each other.





	1. Prologue

Every bone in my body seemed to hurt, but I couldn't figure out why. Why did my blood vessels feel like they were about to explode into purple bruises, or my eyes about to bleed from how much they burned. Then Zach told a crappy joke and I remembered I was in a battle field.

"Feeling sick, Tomi?" He rolled over beside me, pushing fallen cinder blocks off our legs. "You're looking a little green."

[ p l a y l i s t ]   
i. _stronger_ by kanye west | ii. _beast_ by rob bailey and the hustle | iii. _courtesy call_ by thousand foot crutch | iv. _chelsea dagger_ by the fratellis | v. _new divide_ by linkin park | vi. _would you still be there_ by of mice and men | vii. _pull me down_ by mikky ekko | viii. _purgatory_ by the crüxshadows | ix. _immortals_ by fallout boy | x. _bleeding out_ by imagine dragons

[ d i s c l a i m e r ]   
this fanfic takes place _after_ the 2017 first movie installment. i don't own any characters, not even tomi [however this is created before the second movie, so tomi's character will be my own, not any future movie character]. also, ludi lin said in interviews that he hopes the green ranger is a girl, and i'm honoring that wish.☺tomi oliver will obviously be the green ranger, female, and zack's love interest. i will try to base some aspects off the tv series as much as i can [but i watched it a long~ time ago], so this book will have the main antagonist, lord zedd, after rita's failures.

**thanks for reading!**  
exy koroleva © published 03.28.17 - still going

 


	2. 1 | pretty faces

**TOMI NEVER LIKED** reality.

Maybe that was why she loved the attacks on Angel Grove so much. Tomi knew how terrible it was for her to enjoy it, but the attacks were like living movies to her. It was exciting to feel the earth shake and crack when robotic beasts fought over it.

At least it was exciting for her, the one nowhere near the danger. She knew how much damaged was caused, yet it made things feel so much better. No parking tickets, sex offenders, or thefts mattered, not when there was a common enemy.

Tomi kind of liked to stay away from people; she never had much luck with them, not in a dozen years of foster care. Which is why she left her things in Saturday detention and escaped school to do something more — fun.

Tomi didn't mean to be gone so long. Only an hour or so until detention was over. Though something about sitting on the front steps of the school and listening to yet another voicemail of her social worker telling her she'd be switching homes again made her a bit fidgety.

So she left. It was cold, but Tomi's jacket was in detention. Instead of getting it, she unlocked her bike from the rack and took off. There was only one place she knew where to go.

Reports said that a lot of damage had happened just on the outskirts of Angel Grove when Rita Repulsa came, by the mines. Not only did that make it interesting, but the sights were definitely for sore eyes. No people to bug her there: just nature.

Tomi ditched her bike by the gates of the mine and climbed over them. It was especially nice during this time of day when the sun was a little farther down than usual. Her shoes weren't the best for treading the loosely rocky ground, so she slid her hand along the rock wall as she went.

The pebbles poked through her jeans slightly when she sat over the edge of a manmade ledge, but Tomi didn't mind. Though she was sure her jeans minded the dirt she wiped from her palms onto them.

"You know this is a restricted area, right?"

Tomi looked over her shoulder at the source of the voice; a lean male of average height, spiky black hair, and sharp features that seemed a bit too intense for his playful smile.

At first she was scared she'd be kicked out. "I do now, thanks. Clearly you know that too, yet here you are."

His tongue ran over his stretched lips. "No need to be hostile, I work here."

Her neck craned upwards to look at him before she let out a short laugh. "Really."

"Really." He took it upon himself to sit down beside her. "I mean it's a shitty place to work but it's not completely abandoned. They still need help."

"How noble." Tomi cooed sarcastically.

He chuckled. "You didn't let me finish. They need help and I need money."

Tomi made a faint 'ah-ha' noise. "That sounds more like it."

"You don't work here." He blatantly stated. "So where did you come from and why?"

His voice was playful enough that she let it go, but Tomi knew when someone was grilling her. "I was stuck somewhere I didn't want to be." Her eyes cast down to her lap.

He stretched his legs out beside hers. A few rocks swept away under them as he shifted, falling down until they heard the small crack of them on the ground. "I hear you there, sister."

Silence, for a moment. "Shouldn't you get back to work?"

He challenged her with his eyes. "Shouldn't you get back to where you belong?"

"Sure." Tomi drew it out lowly for added drama. "As soon as I find out where it is."

"Damn, I can't handle all this teenage angst." He retorted teasingly, lips curling into a smile once she nudged his ribs with her elbow. "I actually do have to go. And you should to."

For a moment she thought he was going to jump. It was at least twenty feet down to solid rock, but he had an evil little glimmer in his eyes that seemed eager for the rush. But, luckily for her sake of not witnessing the live breaking of at least a few bones, he got up and took a couple steps away behind her.

"And you should go, too." He grabbed a small towel from his pocket and wiped his hands off on it. "And don't come back here, please? It's dangerous. Empty gold mines aren't really the place for faces as pretty as yours."

It was a nice — and cheesy — thought, yet Tomi gasped. "And your pretty face is an exception?"

He blushed, at least she thought so. "It's a gold mine. My face is the prettiest, therefore I'm allowed here to have any leftover gold. Rules of the universe."

"Pretty gold for pretty boys." Tomi agreed, swinging her legs restlessly.

"Wow, a head that's pretty and smart." Zack clicked his tongue appreciatively as he turned his back to her. "You're something special. Maybe they'll make an exception and let you stay."

Tomi drew her feet up so she could turn her body towards him. "They?"

He hesitated walking for a moment as if he forgot something. "The universe. Rules of the universe, remember?"

He walked off before she could say anything else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's all for this chapter. normally when i write fanfics my chapters get into about 2000 words, this is only 900. so tell me, would you rather have small updates like these or long chapters? as a reader i always like short chapters as they're easier to read, but i get carried away a lot when writing :') 
> 
> whoops. but thanks for reading, i hope you enjoy!


	3. 2 | detention squadron

**THAT GREEN JACKET** never got Tomi as much attention in her whole life as it did the following Monday after her detention.

"Tomi." A girl appeared beside her locker. Shoulder length brown curls bounced in a way that just aggravated her. "Tomi Oliver, right?"

Tomi nodded and briefly looked her way before stuffing the empty PopTart wrappers from her bag into her locker. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Kimberly." She said, as if that cleared anything up. "I recognized your jacket. Were you supposed to be in detention Saturday?"

Tomi smiled, but only because she wasn't sure if this girl was serious or not. "Are you like some class rep or something? Because I had something come up & I had to bolt, I really don't need anyone narcing on me."

That was when Kimberly eased up — a lot. Tomi was rather grateful that girl was able to read the situation; she started to seem like less of an itch Tomi couldn't scratch. "I was just wondering. Our teacher took your stuff to put in the lost and found but I think they overlooked this. I almost stepped on it on my way out."

Kimberly held out her hand, and a little black pendant slid around in her palm. Smoothed out obsidian rock was in the shape of a turtle, a small hold drilled through one fin as if it was meant to be on a necklace.

"My chain for it broke..." Tomi grabbed the pendant from Kimberly so quickly the other girl flinched a little. "It must have fell out of my pocket. Thanks." She added the last part a bit reluctantly; it was hard to say thanks if you weren't use to help.

Kimberly gave a small smile, but at least it was genuine. "No problem. If you ever need anything, I'm always sitting outside on the concrete steps at lunch. Feel free to come and talk."

Tomi just nodded her head. Of course Kimberly would act as if Tomi was a new student. In a way, she kind of was; in these past few months as Angel Grove, she didn't show up to school regularly, and mostly due to her quickly moving home life.

Kimberly walked away after that. Tomi looked down at the turtle pendant rolling around in her palm, staring at the designs carved into the shell. She had thought that pendant meant something to her, yet Tomi hadn't even noticed it was gone.

But what she did notice was how the jet black shine reminded her of the pretty boy at the mine, and she wanted to go back. Because unlike the person who gave her that pendant and most people in general, she felt at ease by him.

 ____________

Tomi never ate lunch, but she grabbed a sandwich from the cafeteria thinking it might be weird to go up Kimberly empty handed. But when she was walking outside, the sandwich felt stupid. It felt like an offering. Here's a sandwich, oh royal one, praise to the gods of social awkwardness.

She stuffed the sandwich in her backpack for later. As soon as Tomi's eyes found Kimberly, she walked over. The other two guys she sat with made it easier to approach. One was a kid Billy, who was in her algebra class last year. The other, somehow, was Jason Scott, Tomi knew as the infamous beholder of an ankle monitor for a stupid prank.

"Kimberly." Tomi pulled a hand out of her pocket to meagerly wave. "Any spot open for company?"

The brunette smiled and patted the stone stair beside her. "Plenty. How are you?"

Tomi shrugged softly; her fingers picked at the cuff of her jacket. "Fine. I wasn't sure whether or not to actually find you out here, honestly. I thought it was some popular girl just-trying-to-be-nice offering."

Jason burst out with a short spur of laughter. "Ten points to Slytherin for being blunt as fuck."

Kimberly's mouth gaped open, but at Jason, not Tomi. "Shut up!" She punched Jason's knees, the closest thing to her, before turning to me. "It's fine. It happens more than I'd probably like to admit. But trust me when I say I could use another female in my group of nerds here."

Billy paused his eating, looking utterly offended. "What did I tell you about calling me a nerd?"

Kim ignored him, but Jason put an arm around Billy. "You said you hated it and we said it was a term of endearment." Tomi swore he almost kissed his face before Jason finally pulled away.

It was like that for the rest of lunch. Playful banter, which mostly consisted of terrible jokes and confessing how much they loved Billy. It was like a trio of siblings and Billy was clearly the overprotected youngest one.

It was rather nice to watch their dynamics. Lunch hour was nearing an end and Tomi would rather chew her arm off than go back inside. "Are you free tonight?" She asked as soon as she had the other girl's attention.

Kimberly pursed her lips in thought before looking over at her friends, a silent conversation. "Not tonight, we have a bit of a project to work on."

Tomi nodded in understanding. "Another day then."

Jason smiled warmly as he got up, shouldering his bag to go back to class. "We'll see you tomorrow. It was nice meeting you." Billy just waved before walking away, simple and sweet.

"Sorry." Kimberly apologized. "It was nice officially meeting you though. If you happen to have detention again this week, stop on by. We know how to make it fun." Her smile was infectious as she left.

And now, with nothing to distract her after school tonight and the weight of the turtle pendant sagging in her pocket, Tomi knew there was no better way to spend the day than going to see him.


	4. 3 | promises, promises

**IF THE RAIN** hadn't interfered, Tomi may have been able to save a pair of jeans from getting so muddy.

She was scaling along the edge of the service road path inside the old mine territory when it began to drizzle. It was the only time she ever regretted her favorite jacket not having a hoodie. Her black hair began to stick to the sides of her face when she decided she needed to get out of the wetness.

There was no decent cover around the mine, so she took down the valley instead. Her shoes sloshed over muddy terrain before she leaned up against the side of a small building, wringing out her jacket. She shuffled to the side to avoid catching the eye of the workers a ways off at her right.

"Do you have issues with authority?"

Tomi's head whipped to the left. The building's garage door was open, and the black haired male lazily hung his arm from it to peer at her. He wore a navy blue jumpsuit.

"Not usually." Tomi said once her heart stopped racing. "However I do have problems with the rain."

He hung his head to the side, looking at her like a puppy with it's head cocked. "It probably would've been smarter to stay at your house then instead of playing in the mud."

"Probably." She really didn't like it when people were angry at her; Tomi hated upsetting people. But sometimes it was easier than constantly taking other people's shit up her ass. "Are you a mechanic?"

She moved past him to get inside, ducking her head under the garage door. It wasn't any warmer inside; actually, it was quite stuffy. But at least it was dry.

"No, I'm a dental hygienist." The male said plainly as he followed her inside.

Tomi looked back at him, both of them giving the other person a mutually cheesy grin. To her surprise, he turned around and closed the garage door.

"I'm Tomi." It was hard for her to be the first person to introduce herself. She wasn't used to it, but by now it just seemed awkward to be here without even knowing a name.

He considered what she said for a moment before he wiped his hand on his hip and held it out for her. "Zack."

Her hand slipped into his for a firm shake before she withdrew and wiped it on her pants yet again. "Is this truck yours?" Tomi gestured to the vehicle parked in the center. Saying 'it looked beat up' would have been an understatement.

"No." Zack laughed softly as he plopped himself down on a little stool. "It's a friend of mine's."

She nodded her head faintly, continuing to walk around the small interior slowly. Somehow the smell of grease was oddly comforting. Her fingers habitually fidgeted with the turtle pendent in her pocket.

"Why are you out here? I told you it was private property." Zack said.

Tomi twirled around to look at him and shook her head. "You told me it was to dangerous for my pretty face, which I ignored despite the flattery."

Zack smiled at that, but his grin was a little lopsided, just like the rest of his tilted head. "And why would you ignore me?"

"It's not you, it's me." Tomi said carefully, and after a moment both of them smiled. "It's just really nice out here. In a weird, quiet way."

Zack scooted the stool closer to her. "What? Can't take the insufferable crowds of our massive town of Angel Grove?"

In way, that's exactly how Tomi felt. There weren't many people, but they all still seemed foreign to her, like she was moving around to much to really see them as friends or neighbors. "Well why did you think that putting this place in the middle of nowhere would be good for business? Not exactly good advertising."

The male snorted with soft laughter. "This isn't my business. I just work here. I'm only eighteen."

Tomi couldn't help but skeptically raise a brow. "Do you go to the high school then?"

Zack turned away. "Sometimes." He looked back up at her, and they locked eyes. "I've never seen you there before either. But — I am kind of bad at noticing some things."

He looked a bit pained by it, as if he had overlooked just a few too many things. Or people. But Tomi couldn't blame Zach as much as she did anyone else. He wasn't roaming the same halls as her five days a week.

"I haven't been going there long, and I'm not there much anyway. I usually ask for work and take it home with me. I have kind of a busy schedule."

Zack nodded his head lightly. She knew that he didn't know exactly what it meant, but at least he understood. "I was never a fan of high school." He said with a coy grin.

Tomi nodded in agreement. "You live around here?"

"Yes, at a remote cabin placed discretely in the woods. It matches the serial killer vibes my job gives off." After a few seconds of Tomi staring him down skeptically, he laughed and said, "My mom and I live in the trailer park a little ways down from here."

"See? Was that so difficult to say without a sarcastic remark?" Tomi teased.

He nodded his head. "Yes, actually. Absolute torture." He placed a hand on his heart for effect.

A wide smile took over Tomi's face. It felt nice to freely smile and relax. She wondered if that's how at ease he felt at work, alone and comforted by the steady hum of machines working exactly how they should, or if he got lonely.

She opened her mouth to speak, but instead the front door to the garage flew open and three kids stumbled inside with a splash of rain and panting breaths.

"Zack!" It was Jason that called for him.

Jason. It was one of those moments that made Tomi do an extra look-over to make sure it actually was him. And it was, body and soul, with Kimberly and Billy flanking him. The random encounter made her regret meeting them earlier; things were so much more awkward knowing that you had to see them again.

"I have a customer." Zack said through grit teeth.

"Yeah, well this is a little more important." Jason's voice rose to be heard over the sound of the first clap of thunder. "No offense, Tomi."

She furrowed her brows. "None taken?"

"I'm sorry, Tomi." Zack looked like he wanted to ask if she and Jason were friends, but his puzzled expression soon faded. "Just stay here, okay? I'll give you a ride home later."

He stood up to leave, but Tomi quickly reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his jumper. "Don't leave me here! It can't honestly be that important."

Silence washed over them as every single head turned to Jason.

He nodded. "It's that important."

Zack looked at her regretfully. "Please, just stay. It'll only be a minute. I promise."

He grabbed her hand, squeezed it reassuringly, then ran off. The bell above the door rang as it clicked shut and she was left alone to listen to the rain on the roof.

"Nice to officially meet you too. But sorry," Tomi murmured to herself as she grabbed one of the coats — hopefully Zack's — from the rack beside the front desk. "I can't wait for promises."

And she ran out after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you were a power ranger, who would you be and why? i'd probably be yellow/trini tbh, because she's quiet and calm but can be bold and badass when the time calls for it. plus the saber-toothed coin is pretty cool :) 
> 
> thanks for reading! don't forget to comment + vote + follow! <3


	5. 4 | questions unanswered

**TOMI REGRETTED FEW** things in life. It was easier to look forward with no guilt for doing or not doing something. However she felt something very close to regret when she ran down the caves after them, slipping around on rain-slicked rock.

Her ankles throbbed from slipping around, and Tomi was entirely sure they knew she was following them; she was loud, yet it was still almost impossible to keep up. The kids in front of her seemed inhuman with the way they hurdled and raced.

Their voices echoed too much for her to hear exactly what they were talking about, but they were talking. Fast, worried. The chorus of voices shut off like a light switch as they turned a corner and disappeared.

Tomi's eyes widdened with disbelief. They couldn't just disappear. There was nothing but water and solid rock around her. She would be the crazy one to assume they actually jumped into the water—

A loud rocking noise shot out around her and debris flew everywhere. Water splashed her from head to toe, pebbles sticking to her now wet physique. The explosive force threw her back onto her butt, and Tomi screamed before scrambling off to the side.

"I told you to stay!" It was definitely Zack's voice, but Tomi couldn't pick her head up to focus. She kept it tucked under her arms like a tornado drill in school.

"I'm sorr—ah!" A cracking thud sounded through the cavern and more rock flew from the walls. The only thing Tomi could imagine were monstrous rock people like The Thing from Fantastic Four.

"We'll hold them off! Get Tomi out, then we'll draw them away from base!" Jason commanded them with the natural strength of a leader. Before she could react, Tomi was picked up and carried away with.

But they didn't feel human, nor did they move like one. Black armor covered each limb from head to toe, but Tomi knew better. "Zack!"

The rumbling behind them grew farther and farther away. Light even came in from the cavern entrances. "I told you to stay put!"

She held onto him, but it was no use; he was too strong and moving too fast for it to matter. "I didn't want to!"

"You said you didn't have a problem with authority!"

"I don't!" She shouted back. "I have a problem with you!"

He ran right outside into the rain, and somehow it felt better than being stuck inside those damp and dark tunnels. They were giving her anxiety — claustrophobia — that she never had in the first place.

Zack let her legs down, but she was shaking so badly that she kept her hand gripped onto the shiny black armor covering his forearm. "What the else was all of that?"

Looking over his shoulder, Zack's mask disappeared and his face showed up, hidden behind the rims of his helmet. "You could've gotten killed. None of us were prepared for this, especially not you."

She pulled her arm away from him, taking a few steps back. "You can't tell me how to act."

"But I can keep you safe." He tilted his head down at her sternly, a parental vibe that disgusted her.

"Please, Tomi." But his voice softened and the panic set back into his eyes. "Stay. I'll explain everything later."

And he left her alone in the rain again.

_____________ 

"Tomi."

She didn't want to listen. She wanted to do anything but listen. Tomi was making friends. Tomi was enjoying her life. She was reveling in alien battles nearby her like a story to distract her from reality, except it had just become reality.

Tomi sat on the edge of Trini Kwan's bed. She had never seen the short haired girl before, but she was quiet and short spoken so much that Tomi didn't blame herself. After they "shut it down" back at the mine, in Zack's words, they went to Trini's house while her parents were at date night. She had to watch her little brothers, and apparently a group of five enhanced teenagers was protection enough.

"So." Tomi said blankly. Trini sat beside her, Billy at the foot of the bed. Jason had his chin pensively in his hand at the window.

Zack leaned up against the wall. "So, we're Power Rangers."

"Zack!" Jason and Kimberly each turned towards him, saying his name like a curse word.

"What?" The dark haired boy defended himself. "She's not an idiot, she knows that much. It's not like we can tiptoe around it and say we were fucking cosplaying or something."

Jason ran his fingers through his hair. "There are better ways to go about it than putting everything in the open."

"Go big or go home." Zack muttered under his breath as he slipped his hands into his jacket pockets.

Resting her elbows on her knees, Tomi lifted her head to look up at the black haired boy in front of her. "Thank you, I guess." Zack started to smile, and she cleared her throat then added, "All of you."

Kimberly laid a hand on Tomi's shoulder and squeezed it assuringly. "Do you want to stay here tonight? Trini's mom will probably be happy to know she has real life friends that aren't insane."

"Hey." Trini rolled her eyes, but she fell backwards onto the mattress with such exasperation that it had to be true.

Tomi stared blankly. "I'm not sure if that's a good idea."

Kimberly just nodded in return. "We'll explain everything, tonight."

When Tomi didn't reply, it was then that Jason moved away from the window, nudging Billy's foot with his. "We should get home then. If there are any problems tonight, call us."

Tomi's eyes widened with curiosity. "Why would there be any problems?"

There were silent as everyone exchanged looks, mostly directed at Jason. Tomi absolutely hated that unspoken bond they had, primarily out of envy.

The two boys waved as they walked out. "Just call. G'night."

Kimberly was the only one to actually say anything back. Trini seemed too tired. Zack was too busy staring at Tomi, which she noticed as soon as she turned back to him.

"You staying for the pajama party?" She asked Zack sarcastically.

Trini moved from the bed and to her closet. "As if. Both our moms would freak."

Zack bowed slightly at the truth in that comment. "I'll see you guys at school."

They waved, like it was just another casual weeknight full of badass-ery and pizza rolls. Zack looked at Tomi, dark eyes soft as he closed the bedroom door after him.

Tomi breathed in deeply. She needed to leave, to let someone who cared know she wasn't dead. But Tomo realized people only cared about her so they wouldn't lose their jobs. She turned to Trini, her voice reluctantly speaking up.

"Have any spare sweatpants?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this update took so long, but ya girl just finished all her high school exams! i graduate in a couple weeks but i'm all free~ from high school and boughta be a college girl. i'm jazzed :')
> 
> thanks for reading! don't forget to comment + vote + follow! xx


	6. 5 | breakfast club

**SCHOOL SEEMED FOREIGN** when Tomi went back. The concept was inconceivable; there were aliens living in their town, protecting the earth like some cheesy mid-2000's action movie, and she was struggling to get her diploma. The two lifestyles weren't even on the same astral plane.

Kimberly and Trini had vaguely explained some things to Tomi. "We can't expect you to understand, and we can't even tell you everything. It's — complicated." They had told her.

It was funny; her social workers always told her the same thing when she asked why a family wouldn't keep her. It was never that they were unqualified or that she was too moody. No, it was just complicated. And usually things were much simpler than people realized.

Tomi had her backpack on her desk, her arms crossed over it as she hoped to get a couple minutes of sleep. She never needed to pay attention in maths class anyway. She was good at math, sort of. Numbers weren't so complicated.

She sat in the back of the room. The seat beside her filled up as a clad-in-all-black Asian boy slid into it. He laid his bag at his feet and looked over to Tomi. "See? I go to school sometimes."

The black haired girl turned to him and furrowed her brows. "I've never seen you in this class before." Her voice was unamused.

But Zack simply smiled, showing off his little dimples. "It's just math. Usually I come for the fun classes. Which is about none of them."

Tomi's fingers twirled the turtle pendant in her hands. She never fixed its chain, so she kept fidgeting with it as she couldn't sit still. "If only you got paid for waking up at six a.m. and struggling to memorize useless information."

Zack clicked his tongue. "Then I'd go. But unfortunately some of us have burdens greater than choosing what to wear at prom."

"Prom's still a few months away, don't get ahead of yourself." Tomi challenged, her eyes locking with his with a playful fieriness.

"Speaking of prom," Zack leaned over his desk, attempting to scoot closer to her, "wanna go with me?"

Tapping her fingers to her chin, Tomi feigned a deep thought. "And waste all your hard earned money on tacky clothes and bad food? I'll pass."

"I saved your life, I think you owe me." He protested adamantly.

"How long are you going to play that card?" Tomi held back from rolling her eyes so hard they ran straight out of her head.

"Until it stops being relevant." Zack said matter-of-factly. "Which is never."

"Mr. Taylor."

The two in the back of the class turned their attention up front; Tomi's math teacher was sitting at his desk — as if the man would ever get off his ass — giving Zack quite the stare down. "As lovely as it is to see you make it to school for once, this isn't your class."

Zack looked bewildered, but he grabbed his backpack. "I'm in the wrong class?"

Their teacher sighed. "Yes, again."

Tomi furrowed her brows so deeply they ridged. "This isn't even your class?" She said quietly yet sharply.

Zack shrugged his shoulders, but his roughish smile suggested he knew full and well. "I don't go here often, I must've gotten lost." He stood up and shouldered his bag. "I'll see you 'round."

Tomi sank back into her chair. Sitting in the back of the class didn't stop the eyes from settling on her. She brushed her hair down around her face and leaned her cheek into her palm, hoping to withdraw herself from the attention of being associated with Zack. He left, throwing her another playful grin and shutting the door loudly behind him.

Tomi gripped her turtle pendant so tightly her knuckles turned white, and it didn't stop until lunch hour.

 ______________

"Was that really necessary for you earlier?" Tomi found Zack sitting with Trini at lunch as soon as her class let out. "People probably think I'm as unstable as you now."

Zack snorted. "They may have thought that without my help."

Trini elbowed him in the ribs, giving him a dirty look to be nicer. Tomi liked the fact that she was a girl of few words. That was when Zack stood up. He took a few steps away from his friend, approaching Tomi with an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to say hi."

Tomi pressed her lips together thinly. "Just don't do it again. Please. I'm not exactly a fan of drawing a crowd."

Zack awed at that. He looked back at Trini with a wide smile. "Wow, my two antisocial girls. What a lucky guy."

Tomi hit him in the shoulder as she brushed by him to take a seat beside Trini. "Do you mind?"

The short haired girl shook her head and scooted her lunch tray over to make room. "Help yourself."

Zack sat down across from them. It was clear neither of them were very good at the social aspect of school; people seemed to avoid their table at all costs. She could just imagine Jason and Kimberly sitting outside to avoid the attention.

"Why don't all of you guys sit together?" Tomi asked.

The other two exchanged a look before shrugging. "It's kind of a Breakfast Club thing. Jason and Kimberly, well that's not surprising. Everyone probably thinks they adopted Billy since they felt bad for him or something." Zack stated.

Trini inhaled softly. "We rock detention and MMA together but people still stare. It's high school. You can't take a crap without someone talking about it. They've already drawn enough attention with Jason's accident."

Tomi nodded quietly; what could she say to that? It was true, though difficult. Some things just don't mix. They were a bit of a modern day eighties movie; Zack was the closest to Judd Nelson, easy.

"So feel free to come by when you want." Trini said after a moment of obviously not enjoying the silence. "I'm always at the library at lunch. Killer cell reception and some actual quiet to get work done."

Tomi smiled warmly. "Sounds tempting."

Zack's eyes darted between the two girls. "So...how was the slumber party without me last night?"

Tomi picked up a tater tot from Trini's tray and threw it at him. He dodged it just in time. "Wet and wild, you sure missed a lot."

"Ew, graphic." Zack sang in mock disgust. He mimicked the smile the two girls bore. "Listen, after school today we're going back to the caves. And we kinda need you to come with."

It didn't take long for Tomi to shake her head. "I'm not going back there. Are you guys crazy?"

Zack gave her a stern yet comforting look. "There are things you want to know, and things we need to shown you. You can't pass that up."

Tomi tensed uncomfortably. "How would you know?"

Zack smiled. He always smiled that like when he proved a point. "Because ever since I met you, you've done everything because you wanted to know."

Tomi shifted in her seat. She looked at Trini, but the girl was blank. He was right. It was either satisfy her curiosity or go to a meeting to discuss another temporary housing situation before she turned eighteen and was stuck on her own.

"When are we leaving?"

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short updates means frequent updates, hooray. expect some longer chapters once we get into the juicy stuff, like the action scenes for example. until then, enjoy xx
> 
> thanks for reading! don't forget to comment + vote + follow! xx


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